The Vancouver Sun and Neal mcRae on CKNW radio are reporting the Ravens as being back for 2008 conditional on getting the arena lease and 2500 season tix. Mayenecht was on the radio also, and then I received an email from the Vancouver Ravens asking me to put down my deposit on tix. $25 deposit per ticket. The deadline for the 2500 sales is July 19.

I will be buying 4 season tix. But, I will be interested to know whether this is the OLD franchise being resurrected (with all of its debt) or it is a NEW franchise. When I spoke to Jennings over a year ago, he told me that the Vancouver franchise that Mayenecht held was gone, caput. So, I suspect that Tom is the local investor (or perhaps just PR guy) with Whittson running the main money people from Seattle.

So they've met the season ticket quota, now they just need an arena!
Sucks talks with the PNE have fallen through. I don't get it.
The NLL wants the arena for how many nights, 8 nights of the year and can't get a deal. What the heck is the problem??
Great opportunity for the city of Vancouver but they can't get it done.

I have my doubts about GM Place, especially with the Canucks owners tied up in court dealing with other crap like who should really own the team!

Huge disappointment if they can't get this deal done and the NLL doesn't come back to Vancouver! I would think this is the last 'kick at the can' and if Vancouver doesn't get a team this time, can't see them trying again for quite a while (if ever!)

Sorry about the URL, not sure why it didn't work....
Here is the article.

Time running out on chances for NLL team
Arena deal looks doubtful
Steve Ewen, The Province
Published: Sunday, July 08, 2007
Tom Mayenknecht hasn't lost his sense of humour, even though he may have lost his lacrosse team again.

"If it's meant to be for Vancouver, a Raven will have to be pulled out of the hat," Mayenknecht said Friday, in response to the trouble that he and his partners are having at bringing the Vancouver Ravens back to the National Lacrosse League.

Mayenknecht's group, which includes former NFL-NBA executive Bob Whitsitt, has been given conditional approval by the winter pro league for a 2008 expansion franchise, but must have an arena deal in place by July 19 to move forward.

They had been talking with the PNE for the past few weeks, but negotations have fallen apart to the point that the PNE issued a news release to say that they wouldn't be proceeding.

The only other Lower Mainland rink with a seating capacity that meets NLL requirements is GM Place.

The Ravens, founded by Mayenknecht, played there from 2002 to '04, before folding before the start of the 2005 campaign.

That incarnation of the team was continually in money trouble, and was looking at moving to the Coliseum, with its less expensive rent, when it folded.

The Ravens have spoken with GM Place officials through this latest process, including on Friday.

"They could still be the ones who save this for the community. At least they're understanding the value to Vancouver and they're pushing the envelope trying," said Mayenknecht.

PNE spokesperson Laura Ballance said Friday there simply hasn't been enough time to put together a deal, and pointed to the fact that it took two years to come to an initial agreement with the Vancouver Giants, the WHL team that is the Coliseum's main tenant.

Mayenknecht said the Ravens signed a lease term sheet June 1, and he was expecting the PNE board of directors to approve it by June 21.

"We'll be assessing our options over the weekend and I'm not personally closing doors on anything," Mayenknecht said. "But the only thing certain about this is without a suitable arena lease, we will not have a new NLL franchise in Vancouver."

The Ravens have met a 2,500 season-ticket commitment.

"So many good things have come together on this Vancouver-Seattle partnership group assembled by Bob Whitsitt and myself, with NLL support and great community support. You never say never again," he said.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS RELEASE
Media Advisory
For Immediate Release – July 5, 2007
Vancouver, B.C.: It is with regret that the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) today announces that it does not have a deal with the National Lacrosse League’s Vancouver Ravens franchise, nor does it anticipate a deal will be reached in the future. Despite talks between PNE staff and Ravens management over the past few months, the PNE has ultimately decided not to proceed.